England vs New Zealand: Bazball dies where it began as Brendon McCullum’s side enter uncertain future without Ben Stokes | Cricket News

See ya, Bazball. RIP and thanks for the memories.

Four years on from that philosophy being born against New Zealand at Trent Bridge as Jonny Bairstow went on a post-tea rampage and powered England to a chase of 299 in precisely 50 overs, Bazball died, at the same place and against the same team.

This time, having been set 373 for victory – a total the early Bazballers would have fancied nailing – the new generation were bundled out for 212 in 1.2 overs more, having begun their unlikely pursuit of this massive target by playing Bazball on steroids.

Ben Stokes came out swinging in his final innings; Ben Duckett scooped fours for fun; Harry Brook – Stokes’ potential successor as captain – spanked 21 from eight balls before an innings branded “absolutely pathetic” by ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan came to an end ninth delivery when he flicked down fine leg’s throat.

“What are they doing!?” was New Zealand’s response to Brook’s wicket. They weren’t alone in thinking that, especially as the Black Caps were operating with a depleted bowling attack.

Why Bazball worked at the start

It was entertaining, sure, but all a bit too frenetic. And that was the difference. As intoxicating as the early stages of Bazball were, and how wild they seemed at the time, there was an element of strategy there from a group of players who knew their games.

Head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Stokes’ ultra-positive mentality was needed after one victory in 17 Tests beforehand, a morale-sapping 4-0 Ashes whumping in a series played in Covid bubbles, and a period where England’s best players were cherrypicked for white-ball cricket to the detriment of the Test team.

The red-ball side were in a right mess and so Baz and Ben proved just the tonic, with players the calibre of a peak Stokes, Bairstow, Joe Root, Stuart Broad and James Anderson not needing coaching per se, just freeing up after a trying time previously.

Eleven wins were looted across this regime’s first 13 Tests, including a 3-0 sweep of New Zealand, a startling victory over India as a record 378 was chased at Edgbaston, and a 3-0 success in Pakistan in which they thumped 500 runs in a day and Stokes’ bold captaincy and funky fields earned success on flat decks.

England were bringing eyeballs to Test cricket but still had to prove this ‘run towards the danger’ mindset McCullum adores would work in the biggest of series. It didn’t.

Why Bazball began to falter

They were unable to win a marquee five-match contest against India or Australia under Stokes and McCullum across four tries, drawing 2-2 at home and pumped 4-1 away. Good Bazball put England in winning positions, only for bad Bazball to see those winning positions constantly frittered away, much to fans’ disgruntlement.

Some of the cricket was just brainless, such as hacking short balls from Australia to men in the deep at Lord’s in 2023 when the Baggy Greens had only gone to that tactic as a last resort with England flying and star spinner Nathan Lyon off the field injured.

The mindless driving on the up on the bouncy Australian pitches at Perth and Brisbane last winter contributed heavily to the Ashes drubbing, while the inability to beat India in a series across two attempts was also down to a raft of injudicious shots.

As the team changed, with some of those senior figures moving on and greener cricketers more in need of coaching taking their place, the approach needed to alter, too. But there were very few examples of England adapting to match situations, something their latest conquerors, New Zealand, are masters at.

England’s off-field approach and lack of attention to detail was also panned by pundits, with the team playing just one warm-up game ahead of The Ashes – an intra-squad contest against the Lions on a pitch that in no way replicated what they would face against Australia in Perth. And that’s even before we get to the drinking escapades that have plagued the team of late.

End of an era, so what now for England?

With Bazball failing regularly (it’s seven Test defeats in nine now), the Stokes and Gus Atkinson nightclub saga, and frequent questions over whether the Stokes-McCullum relationship had broken down after a divergence of opinions in Australia – coach wanted England to go harder, captain eager for more refinement – this final Test against New Zealand did have an end-of-an-era vibe.

Stokes then confirmed things were changing with his shock retirement – shock in terms of the timing, at 3.25pm while he was in the middle of a bowling spell, if not the announcement itself – and when the batting malfunctioned in madcap style later that evening, it put the full stop on Bazball, despite McCullum wanting to carry on.

England are about to enter a period of great uncertainty.

McCullum and managing director of cricket Rob Key could conceivably be moved on after the team’s first defeat on home soil in a series of three or more matches since a loss to South Africa 2012. Even if they stay, a new captain needs to be found.

Is Brook really the man to lead after his nightclub scuffle in New Zealand late last year? Does Joe Root have it in him to do another stint as skipper? And if the response to those first two questions is no, then who on earth do England turn to?

It’s not just a captain England are losing in Stokes, either, but a talisman, arguably their best bowler and someone who makes balancing the side easy. Without him, as we saw when a depleted team were annihilated at The Oval under Root, problems arise.

Bazball lifted England out of a funk four years ago. They now need to get out of a funk it created – with or without Baz.

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